Chapter 4

Just then, my phone rang. It was my best friend, Sophie Grant.

"Olivia, did that bastard Ryan really ditch you to be with Jessica?" Sophie sounded totally worked up.

"I just heard from Ben. He told me to tell you to let it go, said something about her being on her deathbed."

"Sophie, I'm fine," I cut her off. "The wedding's off, and I'm packing up his stuff."

Sophie went quiet for a moment. "Stay home, I'm coming over right now."

Half an hour later, Sophie burst into my place and pulled me into a hug. "Babe, if you need to cry, just let it out. Don't bottle it up."

I patted her back. "Honestly, I don't even feel like crying. I just feel relieved."

Sophie let go and studied my face. "Are you really okay?"

"What, you think I'm gonna throw a tantrum, make a scene, or threaten to do something crazy?" I laughed. "Not worth it."

"Exactly! Not worth it!" Sophie clenched her fists. "Those two are going to get what they deserve! Jessica's always been such a fake, acting all sweet and innocent in college, but who knows how many guys she was flirting with behind everyone's back.

"And Ryan? He must be blind. After getting dumped so badly, now he's running right back to her?"

"Maybe he never really got over her," I said.

"And what about you? Did you just throw away two years of your life on that jerk?" Sophie asked.

I looked out the window at the sunshine. "Call it the price of experience. Next time, I'll make sure to see things clearly."

*****

Sophie helped me pack up all of Ryan's stuff and called a courier to send it straight to his office.

I blocked him everywhere, then sent one last text to his old number. [Your stuff's at your office, keys with the building manager. From now on, we're done. Wishing you well. Let's both move on.]

He texted back almost instantly: [Olivia, come on, don't be like this. We can still be friends.]

I didn't bother replying.

After we finished, Sophie suggested we go shopping. "You need to clear your head, and with the season changing, let's grab some new clothes and get rid of all that bad energy."

I thought about it for a second and agreed.

The mall was packed, and Sophie and I wandered from store to store. I tried on a red dress, and Sophie's eyes lit up. "Buy it! This is the one! You'll blow that fake girl out of the water!"

I smiled as I swiped my card. The red really suited me. It gave me a radiant, striking vibe.

When I stepped out of the fitting room, Sophie was staring at her phone, and her expression shifted in an instant.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

She quickly put her phone away. "Nothing, just some spam."

"Let me see," I said.

Sophie hesitated for a second, then handed me her phone. It was a message from Ben, saying Ryan had taken the day off to go with Jessica for a hospital check-up, and there was a photo attached.

In the picture, Ryan had his arm around Jessica, who was leaning on his shoulder, looking pale and holding a medical report. The caption read: [Ryan's so sentimental. Guess old love never really dies.]

I stared at the photo. Jessica was looking straight at the camera, her eyes carrying a hint of defiance, almost daring me to react.

"Sentimental? Please. More like hopelessly dumb!" Sophie snatched the phone back. "Olivia, don't be upset."

"I'm not upset," I said, and I meant it. Looking at that photo, I felt nothing, not even a flicker of emotion. Honestly, I almost wanted to laugh.

We left our shopping bags at the storage counter and were about to grab some coffee. As we headed for the elevator, I heard a familiar laugh.

I turned around and saw Ryan and Jessica walking out of a jewelry store.

Jessica was dressed in a pale pink sweater and a white skirt, looking so delicate and innocent.

Her left arm was wrapped around Ryan's, and on her right hand was a ring, not the one I gave her, but a brand-new diamond ring, the stone so huge it practically screamed for attention.

Ryan was carrying a jewelry store bag, leaning in close as he spoke to her, his expression soft.

They noticed us too.

Jessica paused for a moment, then her face lit up with surprise. "Hey Olivia! Fancy seeing you here!"